Blountstown second in preseason 1A football poll

Published: Wednesday, August 20, 2014 at 05:27 PM.

Defending Class 1A runner-up Blountstown opened the season at No. 2 in the Florida high school football preseason poll released on Wednesday.

The Tigers, 13-1 in 2013, will start the year ranked behind only defending champion Trenton. Port St. Joe received 13 votes in the initial poll, equivalent to a ranking of No. 7 in 1A.

Bay’s kickoff classic opponent North Florida Christian opened No. 3 in 2A, Rutherford’s kickoff classic opponent Florida High was the equivalent of No. 7 in 4A, and Mosley’s classic opponent St. Petersburg Lakewood opened at No. 5 in 5A.

Also notable was District 1-5A, which includes four Bay County public schools, represented by No. 3 Pensacola Catholic and No. 8 West Florida.

Niceville, which hosts Rutherford in the regular-season opener on Aug. 29, will start No. 3 in Class 7A. Tate, which plays at Bay on Sept. 12, is No. 10 in 7A.

The News Herald's football preview will be released on Friday. Preview stories for the 18 area schools also will appear on PanhandleVarsity.com.

The Associated Press Preseason Top 10 Florida high school football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records, rating points and AP poll 2013 final rankings:

Defending Class 1A runner-up Blountstown opened the season at No. 2 in the Florida high school football preseason poll released on Wednesday.

The Tigers, 13-1 in 2013, will start the year ranked behind only defending champion Trenton. Port St. Joe received 13 votes in the initial poll, equivalent to a ranking of No. 7 in 1A.

Bay’s kickoff classic opponent North Florida Christian opened No. 3 in 2A, Rutherford’s kickoff classic opponent Florida High was the equivalent of No. 7 in 4A, and Mosley’s classic opponent St. Petersburg Lakewood opened at No. 5 in 5A.

Also notable was District 1-5A, which includes four Bay County public schools, represented by No. 3 Pensacola Catholic and No. 8 West Florida.

Niceville, which hosts Rutherford in the regular-season opener on Aug. 29, will start No. 3 in Class 7A. Tate, which plays at Bay on Sept. 12, is No. 10 in 7A.

The News Herald's football preview will be released on Friday. Preview stories for the 18 area schools also will appear on PanhandleVarsity.com.

The Associated Press Preseason Top 10 Florida high school football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records, rating points and AP poll 2013 final rankings: